Thelma Spencer Park

Rochester Hills, Michigan · Thelma G Spencer Park

Verified · 4 independent sources

WATER: lake
ACCESS: Designated swim area
FEE: Yes, see below
SEASON: Best in summer

About Thelma Spencer Park

Thelma Spencer Park is a 113-acre city park in Rochester Hills, Michigan, centered on the 38-acre Carter Lake. The park operates an official lifeguarded swim beach seasonally, a supervised in-town swimming hole, alongside fishing, kayaking, sports courts, and a playground.

The park sits on Carter Lake off John R Road in Rochester Hills, with wooded nature paths surrounding the lake and open picnic and recreation areas near the beach and shelter buildings.

Swimming at Thelma Spencer Park

Swimming takes place at a sandy, lifeguarded lake beach with two zoned areas: a shallow wading area up to 3 feet deep suited to young children and non-swimmers, and a main swimming area reaching 4 feet in front of a marked blue rope line, with the lake dropping to about 16 feet beyond that rope. A visitor account describes water quality as consistently good and the sand as slightly rocky but tolerable underfoot.

How to get to this swimming hole

The park is located at 3701 John R Rd., Rochester Hills, MI, approximately 2 miles from the city center.

Parking: On-site parking is available near the beach facility building; the official park page does not specify lot capacity.

The walk in

No real hike here. The water is a short walk from where you park. This is a drive-up lake beach: parking is on-site near the beach facility building, roughly a 1-2 minute walk to the sand. The park's 'wooded nature paths' are a separate recreational trail network elsewhere in the 113-acre park and are not required to reach the swimming area.

Plan your visit

Bringing kids

OK with supervision

Official city beach has a zoned shallow wading area (up to 3 ft) for young kids and non-swimmers, separate from a main swim area (to 4 ft at the rope line). Lifeguards are on duty only during posted seasonal hours (Memorial Day weekend-Labor Day, Mon-Fri 11am-7pm, Sat-Sun 10am-8pm); swimming outside those hours is not permitted. Lake bottom drops sharply from ~4 ft to ~16 ft just beyond the marked rope, so supervision matters even in the guarded area.

Parking

Paid

On-site lot near the beach facility building. A daily vehicle entry permit is required to enter the park (per city fee schedule); the exact dollar amount is only published in a separate fee-schedule PDF that was not directly accessible in this pass, so the figure is left null rather than guessed. Annual resident/non-resident passes are also sold.

Restrooms

Yes

Modern restrooms are on-site at the beach facility building, per the official city park page.

Water clarity

Mostly clear

A first-hand visitor account describes the lake's water quality as consistently good, with a slightly rocky (but tolerable) sandy bottom. No official clarity rating or other discussion of this specific spot's clarity could be confirmed in this pass, so this rating should be treated as lower-confidence than the other fields.

Hours

Park grounds: 8:00am to dusk daily. Lifeguarded swim beach: seasonal only, Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day (weather permitting), Mon-Fri 11am-7pm and Sat-Sun 10am-8pm.

Swim smart

Lake bottom deepens sharply from about 4 feet to roughly 16 feet just beyond the marked swim-area rope; sand at the beach is described as somewhat rocky.

Rules: Swimming is only permitted when lifeguards are on duty (seasonally, Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, weather permitting), with posted hours Mon-Fri 11am-7pm and Sat-Sun 10am-8pm. No flotation devices are allowed in the swim area, no swimming outside lifeguarded hours, no pets May 15-Labor Day (leashed rest of year), no alcohol or smoking, and no drones/UAVs during the summer swim season. Fishing is allowed subject to Michigan DNR regulations.

This is an informational listing, not an invitation. Conditions and access change; verify locally before you go. Visiting any swimming hole is at your own risk. See our Terms of Use.

On the water

KayaksPaddleboardsPedal boatRowboats

Restrictions: No motorized vessels. Watercraft are NOT under lifeguard supervision (use at own risk). Users must stay 50+ feet from shoreline/designated swim areas and maintain 10 feet from other watercraft. Properly fitted life vests are required for every watercraft user. Swimming or jumping from watercraft is prohibited.

An ADA-accessible kayak launch was added on Carter Lake's southwest side for personal non-motorized watercraft, in addition to the park's own rental fleet.

Rentals nearby

Thelma Spencer Park Watercraft Rentals (City of Rochester Hills, on-site)

Single-occupancy kayaks and stand-up paddleboards; 2- and 3-person pedal boats; multi-occupancy rowboats

Prices: $10/hour kayak or SUP; $8/hour pedal boat or rowboat; 1-hour minimum charge on all rentals

On Carter Lake at Thelma Spencer Park, 3701 John R Rd., Rochester Hills, MI (renter must be 18+, present a photo ID as deposit, and remain present during use)

What regulars say

Visitor reports describe the lake water quality as consistently good and the beach sand as slightly rocky but tolerable underfoot, with distinct shallow wading and deeper main-swim zones.

Backstory

The park and Carter Lake are named for Thelma Spencer and Fred Carter, per historical background documents linked from the official city park page (biographical PDFs), though full biographical detail was not accessible in the fetched content.

Thelma Spencer Park: FAQ

Does Thelma Spencer Park charge a fee?

A daily vehicle entry permit is required (exact rate listed in a separate fee schedule PDF on the city site); annual park passes are also sold, including a resident pass covering Spencer Park, Bloomer Park, and Innovation Hills.

Is Thelma Spencer Park kid friendly?

Do I need to hike to reach Thelma Spencer Park?

No significant hike is required. The swimming area is close to parking and access.

Where do I park for Thelma Spencer Park?

Can I bring a kayak or paddleboard to Thelma Spencer Park?

An ADA-accessible kayak launch was added on Carter Lake's southwest side for personal non-motorized watercraft, in addition to the park's own rental fleet.

When is the best time to visit Thelma Spencer Park?

Summer (Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day) for lifeguarded swimming; the park also supports ice skating and cross-country skiing in winter.

What are the rules at Thelma Spencer Park?

Swimming is only permitted when lifeguards are on duty (seasonally, Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, weather permitting), with posted hours Mon-Fri 11am-7pm and Sat-Sun 10am-8pm. No flotation devices are allowed in the swim area, no swimming outside lifeguarded hours, no pets May 15-Labor Day (leashed rest of year), no alcohol or smoking, and no drones/UAVs during the summer swim season. Fishing is allowed subject to Michigan DNR regulations.